


Speechless

by stharridan



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-31
Updated: 2012-05-31
Packaged: 2017-11-06 09:30:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/417335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stharridan/pseuds/stharridan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Those words are on the tip of his tongue, but Ichigo just can't say them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Speechless

"Inoue, wait!"

Ichigo makes a grab for her wrist, catches it, holds onto it as tight as he can. He knows that he's hurting her from the way she flinches, but despite how much he doesn't want to cause her any pain, he's determined not to let go. The physical pain that she feels now is nothing compared to what he's feeling inside. Inside - that's where it hurts the most, where Ichigo is burning with the desire to pull her back into his arms, his embrace, the place where she belongs.

"Listen to me, Inoue," he gasps out through pants, "listen... What I said... I didn't mean it, I swear."

"Well," Orihime finally turns around to face him, and in her eyes there are tears that she's trying to hold back, "you didn't sound like you were joking."

"That was just so Rukia wouldn't kn-"

"So are you saying that our relationship should be kept a secret?"

"I..."

"I knew it," she mutters beneath her breath and pulls away, but Ichigo's grip on her is unrelenting. It's fortunate that they're in a secluded area of the school compound, and that it's after hours already. Ichigo doesn't want anyone to see them like this, much less Rukia and the rest. Explaining matters like this isn't much of his specialty.

"Orihime, I'm saying that I just don't want to rush into things. You know how it is with my dad. If he finds out, he won't stop asking me all sorts of stupid questions."

"What about Kuchiki-san? I don't think she'll be asking any questions. In fact, I bet she'll be _very_ quiet about it if you tell her." As much as she doesn't want to, Orihime raises a hand to wipe the moisture from her eyes. Ichigo reaches out, but she gently pushes his hand away, in a rather defeated matter that just doesn't sit well with her being. "Do you...do you love me, Kurosaki-kun? Do you? Really?"

"I..." But Ichigo finds that he doesn't know what to say, that the words are stuck fast in his throat. Those words - he doesn't even know them, like they aren't even his own. _I love you_ , he wants to say to her. He's been wanting to tell her that for so long now, to hold her in his embrace, kiss her cheeks, her forehead, her nose, her hair, her lips.

But he just can't open his mouth.

Orihime closes her eyes, a faint, shuddering sigh fleeting through her lips. "I knew it."

And Ichigo's left to watch her back, wrestling with his speechless tongue, as she walks away.


End file.
